europa wrote: 'tis better to succed by the strength of one's legs than to resort to the artifice of a derailleur

Just to complete that quote I still feel that varable gears are only for people over forty-five.Isn't it better to triumph by the strength of your muscles than by the artifice of a derailer?We are getting soft...As for me, give me a fixed gear!--Henri Desgrange, L'Ã‰quipe article of 1902

Thanks for that It's nice to see the full thing. Old Henri was a crusty old sod wasn't he.

No I was thinking of one like this know it is not a racing bike with single speed but I just feel like I want something that I can enjoy around the streets and not dress in lycra all the time.I don't want to take the car out everytime I need milk or bread.I don't want gears on it.

A successful man is one who makes more money than his wife can spend. A successful woman is one who can find such a man.Speak your mind,Those that mind dont matter, Those that matter dont mind!!

Apple, with that style of bike, you're better off with a coaster brake at the back and the attendant ability to coast. That sort of set up makes simple, relaxed cycling very easy. So does fixed, but the coaster rear hub is even easier again.

A Sturmey Archer 3 speed hub at the back makes gear changes simple and efficient - you can even change gears while stationary, and so is something worth considering in Sydney which, as I remember it, tends to have its ups and downs.

Pity you're not here in Adelaide. Our city council has free loan bikes and the step through models are very similar to the bike you've shown. Excelent for potting around a flat city.

Thanks Richard,I wish I was in Adelaide as well. I really canâ€™t justify wanting another bike, I have 3 already but I use two of them for hills and long distance.I don't really understand what you mean about the 3 speed hub at the back and gear changing.I came to Adelaide last year for the tour down under but I got a back injury before the ride and needed an op. I didnâ€™t book it this year.

A successful man is one who makes more money than his wife can spend. A successful woman is one who can find such a man.Speak your mind,Those that mind dont matter, Those that matter dont mind!!

Apple, that 3 speed hub is a bit like a car gearbox, all hidden away. No stack of cogs or derailleurs hanging out.Remember the last time you forgot to downshift on the Pinny coming up to a red light? Remember what a pain it was starting again in too high a gear?You can forget that with a geared hub. Stop, put it in the right gear and roll on when you get the green. Just like a car.

Shaun

...whatever the road rules, self-preservation is the absolute priority for a cyclist when mixing it with motorised traffic.London Boy 29/12/2011

Apple wrote:I don't really understand what you mean about the 3 speed hub at the back and gear changing.

I'll have to bring one of my Raleigh Twenty bicycles around to you, so you can try out a proper 3-speed hub. One of 3-speed freewheel, the other is 3-speed with coaster. The only other 3-speed in my stable (still under construction) has a 62cm frame - so unless you're 6'2" tall, you have not got a chance of mounting it.

Last edited by hartleymartin on Tue Aug 31, 2010 10:25 am, edited 1 time in total.

Apple if you do a google search you will find 1000's of links to fixed bikes.I've been riding them for 3-4 years now and about an average of 200k's/week.The reason I ride fixed is 'simplicity'. The is NO complex machinery.You might drop your hard-tail mtn bike commuter and bend your rear derailleur and it cost you $60-80 to have it straightened.That's not going to happen on a fixed gear bike.Fixed gear have very low maintenance.Velodrome/Track bikes are often ridden on the road but their geometry is tight and the ride can be twitchy. Toe overlap is common (where the end of your shoe can hit the front wheel on turning). Road conversions are a good option where the drive chain is the same as a fixed bike but bike geometry is more suited to road conditions.Currently it's very trendy to ride fixed but in the past 6-12 months I've noticed CycloX is no taking off.Is it a trend? Nope my dad, your dad, my grandfather and your grandfther probably rode fixed gear bikes.'

I reckon you either love 'em or hate 'em. I see guys standing up peddling all the way up the harbour bridge, then peddling all the way down, and at the end having to use energy to control the speed to come to a stop at the gates. Great for a work out... but not really what one would describe a relaxing ride... I guess if you have a hand brake it takes some of the pressure out of having to control the speed with your legs... but possibly defeats the purpose of using the skill...

I reckon a single speed is more what apple is looking for. (and yes a geared hub would make hills in Sydney a bit less of a task)

Well guys, thatâ€™s what I am talking about the simplicity and the feeling of being part of the bike, if that makes any sense strangely enough I was walking the dog this morning and what do I see chained up at the rowing club, Yes a fixed bike, looked good, and if it wasnâ€™t chained up I would have taken it for a spin. I actually turned the pedal while holding the back wheel up and I understand what you mean know about its function.It is exactly what I am looking for NO Gears but I do want breaks. Even if it looks like a hybrid it will be fine.

Last edited by Apple on Tue Aug 31, 2010 8:41 pm, edited 2 times in total.

A successful man is one who makes more money than his wife can spend. A successful woman is one who can find such a man.Speak your mind,Those that mind dont matter, Those that matter dont mind!!

hartleymartin wrote:It's only stupid hipsters who ride on the street without brakes.

If you want to ride fixed, get one with brakes and get used to the fact that you cannot coast.

Actually short rides 0 - 20 ks ( depending on your fitness a short ride might be longer) without brakes are not stupid at all. Certainly if it was your first time on a bike it could be dangerous, but for a rider with some experience on the roads it is a perfectly reasonable thing to do. provided of course the bike is fixed. Then again I see plenty of BMX'ers riding around unfixed and brakeless without too much trouble. I guess they've flown under your hate radar hartley.

I find it is only when your getting tired and the legs are keen for a rest that it becomes a bit of a worry. So for longer rides I'll run a front brake.

What I have found regarding riding fixed is how efficient it is, especially for climbing and how good it has been for my technique. The only problem is when ever I jump back on my conventional road bike it feels like there is something terribly wrong with the bottom bracket.